Sunday, March 8, 2015

#NovelSnip

#NovelSnip is a tiny portion of my fiction writing project.  This week, I've gone back 15 years to Alice's babyhood.  I've been thinking more about Frank and Evelyn and who they were before Alice and Ethan arrived.  This part right here happens in the days before Evelyn and Frank meet Alice for the first time.

The phone rang on Wednesday evening, just as Frank and Evelyn poured their second glass of chardonnay and toasted Evelyn’s first class at the university.  “To the professor,” Frank had said, wryly, just as the ring sounded.

Evelyn lifted herself off the couch of their rental and headed leisurely to the handset, expecting it to be her older sister, calling for details about her lecture.

“Hello?” said Evelyn absently.

“Evelyn?” said a woman who was definitely not her sister.

“Yes?” Evelyn answered, setting her glass on an end table.

“Evelyn, it’s Judy from Sioux County Family Services.”

Evelyn raised her left hand to her collarbone and inhaled sharply through her nose. A blast of adrenaline rose in her throat.  It couldn’t be, she thought. After all, she and Frank hadn’t been waiting that long.  They should be prepared to wait for a year, Judy had said, giving Evelyn’s elbow a squeeze, after their last home visit just four months ago.

“Yes?” Evelyn replied, willing the air past her larynx. 

“I have news,” Judy said, warmly.  “There’s a baby girl in foster care.  She can come home this weekend.”

That's #NovelSnip.  Previous #NovelSnips are here.  Yay hooray.

1 comment:

LH said...

Took my breath away. Yay, #novelsnip.